New Chevrolet Orlando MPV Shows up in Paris (With Live Pictures)

Finally, we've got live pics of the new Chevy Orlando. Essentially the General's answer to the European mid-size MPV question, the small, Cruze-based 7-seater had a bunch of promise back when it originally debuted as a concept.

Somewhere between there and this year's Paris Motor Show, all the old, Judge Whitey executives in the General's back pocket found a way to crush any chance of it being cool by turning the stocky little MPV into an ass-in-the-air high-ish-riding mini-minivan...unless there's an air suspension system I don't know about.

You can see that the interior keeps the decent styling inherited from its platform-mate and appears to actually be sourced from the original concept. Too bad the same can't be said for the rest.

When this little box goes on sale in early 2011, methinks the best things about the whole package are the trick dashboard cubby and its two available diesel torque-makers.

As for the rest, attractive European MPV it ain't. For the full info and specs, check out our previous post, and to see how the Orlando stacks up against the concept, head on over to our Concept to Reality comparo.

By Phil Alex

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Dented Wallets and Square Wheels: The 10 Worst Cars of 2010

In the age of high gas prices, hybrids and everyone supposedly going green like the government would make you think, the 2010 class of cars, SUV's and trucks took another hit this year with depreciation and upkeep costs. Just about all the top companies took a good hit in both categories of big and roomy and the supposedly fuel-efficient compact variety which is not as a big hit to people as many would tell you. Here's a listing of the worst performers of 2010 and vehicles you should avoid. These are not in any specific order. (contributed by Design 911)

Cadillac Escalade - Type: Luxury SUV

It's hard to say really what tipped the "experts" off on this vehicle. It did rank poorly amongst safety and value but the one statistic that really stuck out was this vehicle got top honours for the most stolen vehicle out of everything that's out there. "Pimp My Ride" apparently does not apply here.

Chevrolet Aveo - Type: Compact

The Chevrolet Aveo5 1LT overall value is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to even more expensive models such as the Volkswagen Golf and Honda Civic. Consumer Reports concludes that "the ride is jittery and noise is constant." . What would you expect from driving something as small as a golf cart?

Chevrolet Colorado - Type: Pickup Truck

This vehicle has been rated poorly in just about in every aspect so I'm not going to waste my time telling you about it because what does matter is the fact that GM is soon doing away with this model as well as the Canyon. So, of course the best medicine would be to stay away from these models.

Dodge Nitro - Type: SUV

The SLT model is just another version of the Jeep Liberty but with lower marks. Consumers complained
how noisy this SUV is and how it lacks agility. There tended to be some sort of body lean which added difficulty for people steering. This would be the equivalent of pushing a baby stroller in gravel.

Ford F-250 - Type: Truck

The 2010 Ford F-250 Lariat was ranked the worst on gas mileage getting on average just 10 mpg. This was a diesel engine model as well. Hate to see how an unleaded version would do. At this bad a rate of miles per gallon, one would think you'd have to get a bank loan just to get back and forth to work every three months.

Jeep Wrangler - Type: SUV

The Unlimited Sahara was the main gripe but Jeep Wrangler overall has plummeted 23% in sales since the beginning of the year. Apparently it does well off-road but fell short when driven on-road. Handling is a challenge with vague steering and low cornering limits. It's reliability was another negative for consumers.

Chrysler Sebring - Type: Midsize

Car experts ridicule this unpopular gem for its cheap interior and poor performance. It is considered the worst midsize car for the money due to the high ownership costs. Its rate of depreciation is almost faster than watching paint dry.

Mercury Mountaineer - Type: SUV

Top honours for worst midsize SUV for the money, the Mountaineer (and its twin, Ford Explorer, which ranked right behind it) is truck-based. So therefore it makes it use more fuel than the competition and not something suited for city and suburban driving. If you live in this type area, the handling may cause a vein to pop out of your forehead as well.See another worst car 2010 here.

Bumblebee Camaro Crashes into Real Cop Car During Filming of Transformers 3

BUMBLEBEE is racing down a side street to catch up with the other AUTOBOTS, who have found another piece of the ALLSPARK. Suddenly, a DECEPTICON POLICE SUV appears and cuts BUMBLBEE off!

Well, not really, but it sure looks like that in this video. According to The Washington Post, the story goes that a Metropolitan Police SUV was on its way to investigate a suspicious package in the D.C. area when it strayed onto the Transformers 3 set.

Just at that moment, a yellow Chevrolet Camaro a.k.a. "Bumblebee" rounded a corner and slammed into the right side of the police vehicle in the sort of scene you previously would only have seen in a Michael Bay movie.

District Police spokeswoman Tisha Gant told The New York Times that the officer driving the SUV was taken to a local hospital and that the driver of the Camaro was uninjured.

The Camaro seems to be the worst off of the two, having sustained damage to its front end up to the wheel wells. All of us here at Carscoop are hoping and praying that Bumblebee will be okay...

By Tristan Hankins

Via: The Washington Post

VIDEO

2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06-RF

2011 Chevy Corvette Z06-RF has been realized by Vortech and includes a centrifugal supercharger, an air aluminium intercooler, a bypass valve, alluminium installation supports, a high capacity gasoline pump and increased injectors. However there are several differences between the two cars: the engine’s capacity, the exhaust system and the final performances.



In fact the ZR1 has been developed on the base of the LS9 6.2 litre engine, but the 7.0 litre LS7 that equips the Corvette Z06 permitted Romeo Ferraris to take advantage of the higher cubic capacity. First of all the higher reliability and, thanks to a high performance exhaust system realized by the Factory and a careful optimization of the electronics, to obtain more horse power at lower number of rpm (677 bhp at 6000 rpm vs 646 bhp at 6500 rpm of the ZR1) with more disposable torque all speed long: up to 823 Nm at 4950 rpm (The ZR1 reaches the maximum peak of 819 Nm at 3900 rpm).

2011 Chevrolet Volt Z

Chevrolet has launched an all-New 2011 Chevy Volt Z, a sedan car with five doors and four passenger.all-New 2011 Chevy Volt Z-Spec is an electric vehicle that is designed to provide the unlimited electric vehicle.

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt Z-Spec concept introduces unique features including unique lower rocker panels and lower front fascia, grille, taillamps, 19-inch wheels and exterior graphics. Although the Z-Spec parts are only concepts at the moment, they’re being considered for production.

The Volt Z-Spec is driven by the revolutionary Voltec propulsion system, which consists of a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and electric drive unit that provide pure electric range between 25 and 50 miles in moderate conditions, depending on terrain, driving techniques, temperature and battery age.

Once the battery charge drops below a certain level, the Volt’s extended-range 1.4L engine kicks in to provide power to the Volt’s electric motors. With a top speed of 100 mph, the electric drive unit’s excellent low-speed torque of 273 lb.-ft. (368 Nm) takes it from 0 to 60 mph in less than 9.0 seconds and the quarter mile in less than 17.0 seconds.

View 2011 Chevy Volt Z

Gone in 180 Seconds: Neiman Marcus Camaro Convertible Sells Out in Record Time

As absurd as it may seem to spend $75,000 for what is essentially a luxed-up edition of the forthcoming mass production 2011 Camaro Convertible, it took only three minutes earlier today for 100 people to put their name down for the Neiman Marcus special edition cabrio. The new owners claimed their 2011 Camaro SS ragtops through a special telephone reservation process, a few hours after the car made an appearance on NBC's Today Show.

All 100 examples of the special edition Camaro Convertible (see video here), which was prepared exclusively for the annual Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, will be SS models with a 6.2-liter, V8 engine hooked up to either the 6-speed manual gearbox or 6-speed automatic transmission.

Unique feature include an exclusive Deep Bordeaux exterior color, accented by subtle, "ghosted" rally stripes, a matching color fabric top, windshield frame finished in matte silver and 21-inch polished alloy wheels with red detailing that are wrapped in beefy Pirelli P-Zero tires.

As with the regular high-$20,000s to low $40,000s Camaro Convertibles for us plebeians, deliveries of the Neiman Marcus special editions will take place in the spring of 2011.

We're Goin' Surfin': Rental Corvette Abandoned in Pacific Ocean [With Videos]

Some presumably drunk people out California way decided to have a little bit too much fun in their recently-rented Corvette and ended up parked in salt water halfway up the car's doors. Thankfully in this day and age everyone has some sort of video recording device within arm's reach, so we have some post-parking-surfing videos below.

The story goes something like this: between two and four people - who may or may not have been racing - decided to roll on down to the end of Law Street (seriously) and take the normally pavement-pounding Corvette out to play in the sand. Once actually on the beach, the driver proceeded to do a few donuts, calmly drive the car into the water, and flee the scene.

The report indicates that some people who were involved have been detained, and that at least some of the expenses involved in pulling the car out of the sand could be recouped. All I can say for certain is that puling a car out of wet sand and water must have been hard as hell due to the suction; I learned that lesson when my friend took his Grand Marquis four-wheeling and the night ended...let's say poorly.

By Phil Alex

Source: CBS8

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Chevrolet Video Teases 2010 SEMA Show Tunes

Next up on our motor show calendar is the biggest tuning event of 2010, the SEMA gathering in Las Vegas, and like every year, GM will be there with a huge display of vehicles. This time, the General is video-teasing some of the Chevrolet models that will descend on the Las Vegas convention center next month including several Corvettes, Silverados and you guessed it, a boat-load of Camaro builds. Scroll down to watch the clip.

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Corvette Z06 By Romeo Ferraris

The Italian tuner Romeo Ferraris released a mod pack for Chevrolet Corvette Z06 which aims to place it above the ZR1 model.

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 received by Romeo Ferrari’s compressor and the power of the powerful 677PS and 823Nm LS7 jumped 7.0 torque. The Vortech kit features – a centrifugal compressor, an air-to-air intercooler and aluminum high-flow injectors. In addition, the car got a new sports exhaust system.

The Romeo Ferraris Z06 needs 3.3 seconds to cover the 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint and hits 124 mph (200 km/h) in under 10 seconds. If the driver keeps on playing, the game reaches 211 mph (340 km/h).

They’ve also fitted the car with 19-inch wheels at front and 20-inch at the back, with bigger brakes inside them, 6-piston caliper and 380mm discs at front – 4-piston and 340mm discs a the back.

Romeo Ferraris also provides a new interior finish to add a European touch to this American muscle car. That includes an in-house "Commando" sport steering wheel by Romeo Ferraris, Recaro Sportster seats and leather touches to replace outgoing plastic moldings.

2011 Hennessey HPE700 Camaro Convertible

The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible is getting ready to make its world debut at the 2010 L.A. Auto Show. The car features a CarbonAero body kit like the previous HPE700 coupe, which includes a front splitter, a rear diffuser and revised side skirts, ), a painted hockey stick side strip, and 20″ alloy wheels fitted with Pirelli P-Zero tires...

Power comes from a Corvette ZR1-sourced LS9 engine which has been outfitted with cold air induction system, upgraded pulleys, and high-flow fuel injectors. Thanks to these modifications, the 6.2-liter V8 produces 755 hp (563 kW / 765 PS) and 763 lb-ft (1,033 Nm) of torque - an increase of 117 hp (87 kW / 119 PS) and 159 lb-ft (215 Nm). This enables the coupe (convertible figures are still pending) to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds and run the quarter mile in 10.9 seconds at 130 mph.

The cars are fitted with a KW adjustable coil-over suspension, larger stabilizer bars, HPE rims, Pirelli P Zero performance tires, Brembo brakes with six-piston front calipers, stainless-steel tube headers, a blue-painted hockey stripe, Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and a carbon-fiber aero body kit.

The 2011 HPE700 LS9 Camaro will be limited to just 24 units, with no set allocation between coupe and convertible. Pricing for the complete HPE700 upgrade, including the base vehicle, is $ 132,500 and can be ordered directly through HPE or one of Hennessey’s authorized Chevrolet dealers in the US.




Press Release

The 755HP 2011 HPE700 LS9 Camaro

Limited Edition: Only 24 to be Built for 2011 Model Year
Now Available in Hardtop and Convertible

Power:
755 bhp @ 6,400 rpm
763 lb-ft Torque @ 3,200 rpm

Performance (Hardtop):

• 0 - 60 mph: 3.3 sec*
• 1/4 mile: 10.9 @ 130 mph*
• Skidpad: 1.01 g
• 60 - 0 mph braking: 104 ft.

* with optional Nitto Drag Radial tires

Camaro HPE700 Package Includes:

• Base 2011 Camaro SS with 6-speed Manual Transmission (convertible or hardtop)
• LS9 6.2L Supercharged Engine with Intercooler
• HPE Cold Air Induction
• Supercharger Pulley Upgrade
• High-Flow Fuel Injectors
• Fuel System Upgrade
• Intercooler System Upgrade
• CarbonAeroTM Bodywork: Front Splitter, Rear Bumper Diffuser & Side Rocker Panels
• Long Tube Stainless Steel Headers
• HPE Extreme Duty Clutch & Flywheel Upgrade
• HPE Race Shift Knob and Short Throw Shifter Upgrade
• HPE Light Weight Alloy Wheels
• 20 x 11 inch (rear); 20 x 9.5 inch (front)
• Pirelli P-Zero Tires, 275/35-YR20 (front); 305/35-YR20 (rear)
• Brembo Front Brake Upgrade: 6-Piston Calipers with Light Weight 15 inch Cross-Drilled Rotors
• Brembo Rear Brake Upgrade: 4-Piston Calipers with 15 inch Light Weight Rotors
• KW / HPE Variant 3 Adjustable Coil-Over Suspension Upgrade
• KW / HPE Front & Rear Sway Bar Upgrades
• Painted Hockey Stick Side Stripe with LS9 logo
• Hennessey Embroidered Head Rests & Floor Mats
• Limited Edition HPE700 Dash Plaque & Hood Plaque
• HPE700 & Hennessey Logos Painted on Rear Deck Lid
• Hennessey Letter of Authenticity
• HPE700 buyers will also receive a 1-day performance driving course at Lonestar Motorsports Park - a 1/4 mile dragstrip facility located adjacent to Hennessey's 30,000 square foot production facility

and showroom.